As of August 1st, an unprecedented ban on personal watercraft will affect most of the Upper Saint Croix (croy) Riverway in Minnesota and Wisconsin. And as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports, this action may extend to other national parks around the Great Lakes:

Chemical test strips are often used for pregnancy and drug tests. Now the same principle’s being used by gardeners to improve soil and plant quality. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s David Naylor reports:

In recent months, the country’s solid waste companies have been engaged in what amounts to a battle of the giants. As corporations like USA Waste and Waste Management merge and gain power, small, independent waste haulers are being swallowed whole. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Gayle Miller believes the frenzy in the solid waste industry spells bad news for recycling:

For the past few years, environmentalists have been warning consumers that pesticides applied to fruits and vegetables could be extremely dangerous to children. Soon, the Environmental Protection Agency will tackle the issue. Armed with a new federal law, the EPA is taking a fresh look to see if pesticides applied to produce carry health hazards. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Julie Edelson Halpert has more:

At one time, the St. Lawrence River was home to some of the best walleye fishing in the world. But by the mid-1980’s, the spawning runs that once brought thousands of fish to this region had dropped off dramatically. As the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly reports, a group of local fisherman decided to tackle the problem themselves:

A state underwater archeology program is trying a new tactic to preserve Great Lakes shipwrecks from divers. The plan is to make the sites easier for divers to find. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Mike Simonson reports:

Scientists in Wisconsin say among yellow perch, males in Lake Michigan outnumber females by 9-to-1. Such a gender disparity may be detrimental to the food chain. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lisa Labuz has more: